Words Matter Dec
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Words Matter Dec. 7 & 8, 2019 Verbum caro factum est Hans L. Hassler (1564-1612) Dadme Albricias Anon. 16th-century Michele Yurecko, Matthew Shurts Dixit Maria Hassler Ave Regina Caelorum Isabella Leonarda (1620-1704) Sarah Thomson, Beth Shirley, Joe Keefe They said… (from the sayings of our Forefathers) Yehezkel Braun (1922-2014) Sections I – IV Lisa Berger, Nancy Watson-Baker Work NJ Premiere Melissa Dunphy (b. 1980) Os justi Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) In the Beginning was the Word World Premiere Sarah Rimkus (b. 1990) Verbum caro factum est Giovanni Croce (1557-1609) Laura Quinn, Emilie Bishop, PJ Livesey Verbum caro factum est Paul Halley (b. 1952) Antiphonal Choir*, Kathy Earle The Word was God Rosephanye Powell (b. 1962) Gracias a la Vida Violeta Parra (1917-1967) Claudia Sydenstricker arr. Willi Zwozdesky INTERMISSION Verbum caro factum est John Sheppard (1515-1558) Das Wort ward Fleisch Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) Words Anders Edenroth (b. 1963) CHAMBER SINGERS Lineage women Andrea Ramsey Let Us Carry Out That Dream men Steven Sametz (b. 1954) United in Song audience Mari E. Valverde (b. 1987) Mercedes Pescevich Fantasia on Christmas Carols Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) Holland Jancaitis The Children of All Others World Premiere Mark A. Miller (b. 1967) *Antiphonal Choir S: Kathy Earle, Mickey McGrath, Jamie Vergara A: Alyssa Casazza, Catie Gilhuley, Jenna Miller T: Nick Herrick, Will Roper B: Dan Malloy, Ben Schroeder Instrumentalists Piano: Helen Raymaker Organ: Chris Hatcher Cello: Michael Holak Recorders: Mariam Bora, John Lamb, Susan Pilshaw, David Thomson Handbells: Mariam Bora, Jamie Bunce, Linda Clark, Lauren Goldman Percussion: Joe Keefe, Charlie Love, Ben Schroeder “Words constitute the ultimate texture and stuff of our moral being, since they are the most refined and delicate and detailed, as well as the most universally used and understood, of the symbolisms whereby we express ourselves into existence. We became spiritual animals when we became verbal animals. The fundamental distinctions can only be made in words. Words are spirit.” –Iris Murdoch “Be it grand or slender, burrowing, blasting, or refusing to sanctify; whether it laughs out loud or is a cry without an alphabet, the choice word, the chosen silence, unmolested language surges toward knowledge, not its destruction.” –Toni Morrison It fascinates me that the first words of the New Testament’s Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word,” parallel the opening of Genesis (Torah): “in the beginning….the earth was without form and void…and God said ‘Let there be light!’” The author of this Prologue to the Gospel of John uses the Greek word “Logos” to show the connection to the Greek philosophers (stoicism). It is also related to the Old Testament/Hebrew wisdom tradition (which is feminine, or in Greek, Sofia). Choral music is a marriage of words and music, and I have always been very careful to pick texts worthy of singing. You get more than the sum of the parts that way. This concert explores many different ways of setting the Prologue to John, which is always read on Christmas Day. It also celebrates the proclaiming of joyous tidings and the careful crafting of inspiring advice, and hopefully reminds us that our language makes us human and we should treat it as sacred. This first setting of Verbum caro factum est exploits the Venetian double choir textures that Hans Leo Hassler learned when studying in Italy with Andrea Gabrieli. Hassler’s works synthesized German and Italian national styles and straddled the Renaissance and the Baroque, with rich counterpoint and madrigalian text-painting grounded in harmonic structures. The three upper voices dialogue with three lower voice parts, coming together for full sections that illustrate the text. Verbum caro factum est The Word was made flesh, et habitavit in nobis and dwelt among us, et vidimus gloriam ejus and we beheld his glory, gloriam quasi unigeniti a Patre the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, plenum gratiae et veritatis. full of grace and truth. A large part of the Christmas story is the telling of the glad tidings, as in this charming 16th-century Spanish villancico, Dadme Albricias. These dance-songs are like conversations between the humble people and the divine characters. ¡Dadme albricias, hijos d'Eva! Give me reward for my tidings, sons of Eve! ¿Di, de qué dártelas han? Tell us, why should we reward you? Qu'es nascido el nuevo Adám. Because the new Adam is born. ¡Oh, hí de Dios, y qué nueva! Oh, Son of God, what news! Dádmelas y haved placer, Give me my reward and sing for joy, pues esta noche es nascido for tonight is born el Mexías prometido, the promised Messiah, Dios y Hombre, de mujer. God and man, born of a woman. Y su nacer nos releva And his birth redeemed us del peccado y de su afán. from sin and from its torments. Hassler’s Dixit Maria is in an older, more Renaissance style than his Verbum caro. This text shows that Mary’s words of response to the Angel are hugely important –– and the work comes to homophonic focus on her words “ecce, ancilla Domine.” Dixit Maria ad Angelum: Mary said to the Angel: Ecce ancilla Domini, Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum. let it be done to me, according to your word. Ave Regina Caelorum is an antiphon of Marian devotion not from the Christmas season. The words “Ave” and “vale” bestow upon Mary an aspect of the divine feminine in an otherwise patriarchical system. Isabella Leonarda was an Italian composer from Novara. At the age of 16, she entered the Collegio di Sant'Orsola, an Ursuline convent, where she stayed for the remainder of her life, rising to the rank of Mother Superior. Leonarda's works include examples of nearly every sacred genre: motets and sacred concertos, sacred Latin dialogues, psalm settings, responsories, Magnificats, litanies, and masses. She is also famous for her Sonate da chiesa - the first published instrumental sonata by a woman. This work is progressively Baroque, set for solo and continuo, chorus, and strings. Ave, Regina Caelorum, Hail, O Queen of Heaven, Ave, Domina Angelorum. Hail, O Lady of Angels. Salve radix, salve porta, Hail, thou root, hail, thou gate, Ex qua mundo lux est orta. From whom unto the world a light has arisen. Gaude Virgo gloriosa, Rejoice, O glorious Virgin, Super omnes speciosa. Lovely beyond all others. Vale, o valde decora, Farewell, most beautiful maiden, Et pro nobis Christum exora. And pray for us to Christ. Yehezkel Braun was born in Breslau, Germany, and moved to Mandate Palestine when he was two. He grew up surrounded by Jewish and East-Mediterranean traditional music that influenced his later compositions. Braun was a graduate of the Israel Academy of Music with a master's degree in classical studies from Tel Aviv University. In 1975, Braun studied Gregorian chant with Dom Jean Claire at the Benedictine monastery of Solesmes in France. His main academic interests were traditional Jewish melodies and Gregorian chants. He lectured on these and other subjects at universities and congresses in England, France, the United States, and Germany. Braun was professor emeritus at Tel Aviv University and was awarded the prestigious Israel Prize in 2001. The dominant characteristics of his music as heard in They said… (from the sayings of our Forefathers) are beautiful, communicative melodies, modal and tonal harmonies, and classical forms. The texts, compiled by Pirkei Avot (Chapters of the Fathers), celebrate rabbinical wisdom, and the first four sections highlight the power of words and truth. I. Moshe kibeil Torah mi-Sinai Moses received the Torah from Sinai um'sara liYhoshua, and transmitted it to Joshua, viYhoshua liZ'keinim, and Joshua to the Elders, uZ'keinim liN'vi'im the Elders to the Prophets, uN'vi'im m'saruha and the Prophets transmitted it l'Anshei K'neset Ha-g'dola. to the men of the Great Assembly. Heim am'ru sh'losha d'varim – They used to say these three things – Havu m'tunim ba-din, Be deliberate in judgment, v'ha'amidu talmidim harbei, cultivate many pupils, va'asu s'yag la-Torah. and make a protective boundary around the Torah. Shim'on Ha-tzadik Simon the Righteous haya mish'yarei was among the last surviving members K'neset Ha-g'dola. of the Great Assembly. Hu haya omer: He used to say: Al sh'losha d'varim The existence of the world ha-olam omeid – depends on three things – al ha-Torah, v'al ha-avoda, on the Torah, on the service of God, v'al g'milut chasadim. and on deeds of kindness. II. Raban Shim'on ben Gamliel omer: Rabbi Simon, the son of Gamliel, used to say: Al sh'losha d'varim ha-olam omeid – The existence of the world depends on three things – al ha-din, v'al ha-emet, v'al ha-shalom. on justice, and on truth, and on peace. III. Y'hoshua ben P'rachya omer: Joshua, the son of Perachia, would say: Asei l'cha rav, Find yourself a teacher, uk'nei l'cha chaver, get yourself a friend, v'hevei dan et kol ha-adam l'chaf z'chut. and judge every person favorably. IV. Shim'on ben Shatach omer: Simon, the son of Shatach used to say: Hevei marbeh lachkor et ha-eidim. Cross‐examine the witnesses with care. Vehevei zahir bid'varecha, And be careful with your words, shema mitocham yilm'du l'shaker. lest people learn to lie. Born and raised in Australia, Melissa Dunphy immigrated to the United States in 2003 and has since become an award-winning and acclaimed composer specializing in vocal, political, and theatrical music.